Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Yevtushenko is known for his early outspoken verse, and for his place in popular culture before he became a member of the establishment. Akhmadulina was married to him; with Voznesensky and Rozhdestvensky, they formed a popular poetic vanguard. Shostakovich used Yevtushenko’s words in a symphony (the poet’s wife thought Shostakovich an impostor when he first telephoned). Yevtushenko was charmed by Pasternak, and helped get his house preserved. He had an extensive set of friends in America — some met there, some in Russia — and travelled and corresponded widely. Cheever (a friend) said his ego could crack crystals at twenty feet.